Euv mask and manufacturing method by using the same

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a photolithography mask. The photolithography mask includes a substrate that contains a low thermal expansion material (LTEM). A reflective structure is disposed over the substrate. A capping layer is disposed over the reflective structure. An absorber layer is disposed over the capping layer. The absorber layer contains a material that has a refractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and an extinction coefficient greater than about 0.03.

PRIORITY DATA

This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No.62/084,608, filed Nov. 26, 2014, and entitled “EUV Mask andManufacturing Method by Using the Same,” the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experiencedexponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and designhave produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller andmore complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of ICevolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnecteddevices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size(i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using afabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generallyprovides benefits by increasing production efficiency and loweringassociated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity ofIC processing and manufacturing. For these advances to be realized,similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed. Forexample, the need to perform higher resolution lithography processesgrows. One lithography technique is extreme ultraviolet lithography(EUVL). Other techniques include X-Ray lithography, ion beam projectionlithography, electron beam projection lithography, and multiple electronbeam maskless lithography.

The EUVL employs scanners using light in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV)region, having a wavelength of about 1-100 nm. Some EUV scanners provide4× reduction projection printing, similar to some optical scanners,except that the EUV scanners use reflective rather than refractiveoptics, i.e., mirrors instead of lenses. EUV scanners provide thedesired pattern on an absorption layer (“EUV” mask absorber) formed on areflective mask. Currently, binary intensity masks (BIM) are employed inEUVL for fabricating integrated circuits. EUVL is very similar tooptical lithography in that it needs a mask to print wafers, except thatit employs light in the EUV region, i.e., at 13.5 nm. At the wavelengthof 13.5 nm or so, all materials are highly absorbing. Thus, reflectiveoptics rather than refractive optics is used. A multi-layered (ML)structure is used as a EUV mask blank.

However, conventional EVU masks and the fabrication thereof may stillhave drawbacks. For example, the EVU mask has an absorber layer.Conventional EUV mask absorber layers may lead to large aerial imageshifts, which are undesirable. As another example, EUV masks typicallyrequire a pellicle membrane, which serves as a protective cover toprotect the EUV mask from damage and/or contaminant particles. However,the fabrication of the pellicle membrane according to certainconventional fabrication processes may cause the pellicle membrane tobecome distorted, broken, or otherwise damaged, thereby rendering thepellicle membrane unusable.

Therefore, while EUV lithography systems and processes have beengenerally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not beenentirely satisfactory in every aspect. What is needed is a EUVlithography method system to address the above issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a lithography system constructed inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an EUV mask constructed in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIGS. 3-4 are graphs illustrating aerial image shift for different EUVmasks.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of fabricating an EUV mask inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a simplified top view of a wafer in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 7-14 are simplified cross-sectional side views of various devicesillustrating the fabrication of an EUV mask pellicle in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a method of forming an EUV mask pellicle inaccordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specificexamples of components and arrangements are described below to simplifythe present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and arenot intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed between the first and second features, such thatthe first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition,the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters inthe various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicityand clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between thevarious embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view diagram of a lithography system 10,constructed in accordance with some embodiments. The lithography system10 may also be generically referred to as a scanner that is operable toperform lithography exposing processes with respective radiation sourceand exposure mode. In the present embodiment, the lithography system 10is an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system designed to expose aresist layer by EUV light. The resist layer is a material sensitive tothe EUV light. The EUV lithography system 10 employs a radiation source12 to generate EUV light, such as EUV light having a wavelength rangingbetween about 1 nm and about 100 nm. In one particular example, theradiation source 12 generates an EUV light with a wavelength centered atabout 13.5 nm. Accordingly, the radiation source 12 is also referred toas EUV radiation source 12.

The lithography system 10 also employs an illuminator 14. In variousembodiments, the illuminator 14 includes various refractive opticcomponents, such as a single lens or a lens system having multiplelenses (zone plates) or alternatively reflective optics (for EUVlithography system), such as a single mirror or a mirror system havingmultiple mirrors in order to direct light from the radiation source 12onto a mask stage 16, particularly to a mask 18 secured on the maskstage 16. In the present embodiment where the radiation source 12generates light in the EUV wavelength range, the illuminator 14 employsreflective optics. In some embodiments, the illuminator 14 includes adipole illumination component.

In some embodiments, the illuminator 14 is operable to configure themirrors to provide a proper illumination to the mask 18. In one example,the mirrors of the illuminator 14 are switchable to reflect EUV light todifferent illumination positions. In some embodiment, a stage prior tothe illuminator 14 may additionally include other switchable mirrorsthat are controllable to direct the EUV light to different illuminationpositions with the mirrors of the illuminator 14. In some embodiments,the illuminator 14 is configured to provide an on-axis illumination(ONI) to the mask 18. In an example, a disk illuminator 14 with partialcoherence σ being at most 0.3 is employed. In some other embodiments,the illuminator 14 is configured to provide an off-axis illumination(OAI) to the mask 18. In an example, the illuminator 14 is a dipoleilluminator. The dipole illuminator has a partial coherence σ of at most0.3 in some embodiments.

The lithography system 10 also includes a mask stage 16 configured tosecure a mask 18. In some embodiments, the mask stage 16 includes anelectrostatic chuck (e-chuck) to secure the mask 18. This is because gasmolecules absorb EUV light, and the lithography system for the EUVlithography patterning is maintained in a vacuum environment to avoidthe EUV intensity loss. In the disclosure, the terms of mask, photomask,and reticle are used interchangeably to refer to the same item.

In the present embodiment, the lithography system 10 is an EUVlithography system, and the mask 18 is a reflective mask. One exemplarystructure of the mask 18 is provided for illustration. The mask 18includes a substrate with a suitable material, such as a low thermalexpansion material (LTEM) or fused quartz. In various examples, the LTEMincludes TiO₂ doped SiO₂, or other suitable materials with low thermalexpansion.

The mask 18 also includes a reflective ML deposited on the substrate.The ML includes a plurality of film pairs, such as molybdenum-silicon(Mo/Si) film pairs (e.g., a layer of molybdenum above or below a layerof silicon in each film pair). Alternatively, the ML may includemolybdenum-beryllium (Mo/Be) film pairs, or other suitable materialsthat are configurable to highly reflect the EUV light.

The mask 18 may further include a capping layer, such as ruthenium (Ru),disposed on the ML for protection. The mask 18 further includes anabsorption layer deposited over the ML. The absorption layer ispatterned to define a layer of an integrated circuit (IC), the absorberlayer is discussed below in greater detail according to various aspectsof the present disclosure. Alternatively, another reflective layer maybe deposited over the ML and is patterned to define a layer of anintegrated circuit, thereby forming an EUV phase shift mask.

The lithography system 10 also includes a projection optics module (orprojection optics box (POB) 20 for imaging the pattern of the mask 18 onto a semiconductor substrate 26 secured on a substrate stage 28 of thelithography system 10. The POB 20 has refractive optics (such as for UVlithography system) or alternatively reflective optics (such as for EUVlithography system) in various embodiments. The light directed from themask 18, carrying the image of the pattern defined on the mask, iscollected by the POB 20. The illuminator 14 and the POB 20 arecollectively referred to as an optical module of the lithography system10.

The lithography system 10 also includes a pupil phase modulator 22 tomodulate optical phase of the light directed from the mask 18 so thatthe light has a phase distribution on a projection pupil plane 24. Inthe optical module, there is a plane with field distributioncorresponding to Fourier Transform of the object (the mask 18 in thepresent case). This plane is referred to as projection pupil plane. Thepupil phase modulator 22 provides a mechanism to modulate the opticalphase of the light on the projection pupil plane 24. In someembodiments, the pupil phase modulator 22 includes a mechanism to tunethe reflective mirrors of the POB 20 for phase modulation. For example,the mirrors of the POB 20 are switchable and are controlled to reflectthe EUV light, thereby modulating the phase of the light through the POB20.

In some embodiments, the pupil phase modulator 22 utilizes a pupilfilter placed on the projection pupil plane. A pupil filter filters outspecific spatial frequency components of the EUV light from the mask 18.Particularly, the pupil filter is a phase pupil filter that functions tomodulate phase distribution of the light directed through the POB 20.However, utilizing a phase pupil filter is limited in some lithographysystem (such as a EUV lithography system) since all materials absorb EUVlight.

As discussed above, the lithography system 10 also includes thesubstrate stage 28 to secure a target 26 to be patterned, such as asemiconductor substrate. In the present embodiment, the semiconductorsubstrate is a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer or othertype of wafer. The target 26 is coated with the resist layer sensitiveto the radiation beam, such as EUV light in the present embodiment.Various components including those described above are integratedtogether and are operable to perform lithography exposing processes. Thelithography system 10 may further include other modules or be integratedwith (or be coupled with) other modules.

The mask 18 and the method making the same are further described inaccordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments, the maskfabrication process includes two operations: a blank mask fabricationprocess and a mask patterning process. During the blank mask fabricationprocess, a blank mask is formed by deposing suitable layers (e.g.,reflective multiple layers) on a suitable substrate. The blank mask isthen patterned during the mask patterning process to achieve a desireddesign of a layer of an integrated circuit (IC). The patterned mask isthen used to transfer circuit patterns (e.g., the design of a layer ofan IC) onto a semiconductor wafer. The patterns can be transferred overand over onto multiple wafers through various lithography processes. Aset of masks is used to construct a complete IC.

The mask 18 includes a suitable structure, such as a binary intensitymask (BIM) and phase-shifting mask (PSM) in various embodiments. Anexample BIM includes absorptive regions (also referred to as opaqueregions) and reflective regions, patterned to define an IC pattern to betransferred to the target. In the opaque regions, an absorber ispresent, and an incident light is almost fully absorbed by the absorber.In the reflective regions, the absorber is removed and the incidentlight is diffracted by a multilayer (ML). The PSM can be an attenuatedPSM (AttPSM) or an alternating PSM (AltPSM). An exemplary PSM includes afirst reflective layer (such as a reflective ML) and a second reflectivelayer patterned according to an IC pattern. In some examples, an AttPSMusually has a reflectivity of 2%-15% from its absorber, while an AltPSMusually has a reflectivity of larger than 50% from its absorber.

One example of the mask 18 is shown in FIG. 2. The mask 18 is a EUVmask, and includes a substrate 30 made of a LTEM. The LTEM material mayinclude TiO₂ doped SiO₂, and/or other low thermal expansion materialsknown in the art. In some embodiments, a conductive layer 32 isadditionally disposed under on the backside of the LTEM substrate 30 forthe electrostatic chucking purpose. In one example, the conductive layer32 includes chromium nitride (CrN), though other suitable compositionsare possible.

The EUV mask 18 includes a reflective multilayer (ML) 34 disposed overthe LTEM substrate 30. The ML 34 may be selected such that it provides ahigh reflectivity to a selected radiation type/wavelength. The ML 34includes a plurality of film pairs, such as Mo/Si film pairs (e.g., alayer of molybdenum above or below a layer of silicon in each filmpair). Alternatively, the ML 34 may include Mo/Be film pairs, or anymaterials with refractive index difference being highly reflective atEUV wavelengths. The thickness of each layer of the ML 34 depends on theEUV wavelength and the incident angle. Particularly, the thickness ofthe ML 34 (and the thicknesses of the film pairs) is adjusted to achievea maximum constructive interference of the EUV light diffracted at eachinterface and a minimum absorption of the EUV light by the ML 34.

The EUV mask 18 also includes a capping layer 36 disposed over the ML 34to prevent oxidation of the ML. In one embodiment, the capping layer 36includes silicon with a thickness ranging from about 4 nm to about 7 nm.The EUV mask 18 may further include a buffer layer 38 disposed above thecapping layer 36 to serve as an etching-stop layer in a patterning orrepairing process of an absorption layer, which will be described later.The buffer layer 38 has different etching characteristics from theabsorption layer disposed thereabove. The buffer layer 38 includesruthenium (Ru), Ru compounds such as RuB, RuSi, chromium (Cr), chromiumoxide, and chromium nitride in various examples.

The EUV mask 18 also includes an absorber layer 40 (also referred to asan absorption layer) formed over the buffer layer 38. In someembodiments, the absorber layer 40 absorbs the EUV radiation directedonto the mask. In conventional EUV masks, the absorber layer istypically made of tantalum boron nitride, tantalum boron oxide, orchromium. However, the use of these materials in conventional EUV masksmay lead to problems. One problem relates to an undesirable aerial imageshift during exposure in a dipole illumination scheme.

For example, referring now to FIG. 3, a graph 100 illustrates plots110-112 of light intensity versus spatial frequency (v) for an exampleconventional EUV mask. The conventional EUV mask has an absorber layerthat is made of TaBo and/or TaBN. As discussed above, the illuminator 14(shown in FIG. 1) includes dipole illumination optics. When conventionalmaterials such as TaBo and/or TaBN are used to implement the absorberlayer, the dipole illumination optics lead to a plot 110 (on the leftside) and a plot 111 (on the right side) being generated. An average ofthese two plots 110-111 is the plot 112 (in the middle). As FIG. 3visually indicates, the plot 110 and plot 111 have a relatively largeoffset from one another, and thus each plot 110/111 also has arelatively large offset from the average plot 112. This represents therelatively large aerial image shift associated with the exampleconventional EUV mask. Such aerial image shift during exposure isundesirable as it may lead to poor lithography performance.

According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, theabsorber layer of the EUV mask is configured to have a material thathelps minimize the aerial image shift problem discussed above withreference to FIG. 3. In more detail, the absorber layer material of theEUV mask of the present disclosure has a refractive index and anextinction coefficient that are each tuned to a specific range. In someembodiments, the absorber layer material of the EUV mask of the presentdisclosure has a refractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about1.01, and an extinction coefficient greater than about 0.03. In somefurther embodiments, the refractive index of the material of theabsorber layer is in a range from 0.975 to 1. In yet furtherembodiments, the refractive index of the material of the absorber layeris in a range from 0.985 to 0.995. In some embodiments, the extinctioncoefficient of the material of the absorber layer is in a range from 0.4to 0.54. In some further embodiments, the extinction coefficient of thematerial of the absorber layer is in a range from 0.45 to 0.5.

To satisfy the requirements of the refractive index and/or theextinction coefficient discussed above, the material of the absorberlayer includes Radium according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some other embodiments, the material of the absorberlayer includes a suitable oxide or nitride of one or more of thefollowing materials: Actium, Radium, Tellurium, Zinc, Copper, andAluminum. In yet other embodiments, the material of the absorber layerincludes an alloy or oxide of one or more of the following materials:Actium, Radium, Tellurium, Zinc, Copper, and Aluminum. For example, thematerial of the absorber layer may be TeO₂, Al₂O₃, CuO₂, ZnO₂, or CuZn.

The absorber layer with the specifically configured material (i.e., withthe specific ranges of refractive index and extinction coefficient)allows the aerial image shift during exposure to be greatly reduced.This is visually illustrated in FIG. 4, which illustrates a graph 200illustrates plots 210-212 of light intensity versus spatial frequency(v) for an example embodiment of an EUV mask according to the presentdisclosure. In other words, the absorber layer material of the EUV maskof the corresponding to the graph 200 has a specifically configuredrefractive index and/or extinction coefficient. For example, theabsorber layer material of the EUV mask has a refractive index in arange from 0.975 to 1 and an extinction coefficient in a range from 0.4to 0.54.

When such material is used to implement the absorber layer, the dipoleillumination optics result in a plot 210 shown in FIG. 4 (on the leftside) and a plot 211 (on the right side). An average of these two plots210-211 is the plot 212 (in the middle). As FIG. 4 visually indicates,the plot 210 and plot 211 have a relatively small offset from oneanother, and thus each plot 210/211 also has a relatively small offsetfrom the average plot 212. This represents the relatively small aerialimage shift associated with the EUV mask of the present disclosure. Asmall aerial image shift is desirable as it leads to improvedlithography performance.

FIG. 5 is a simplified flowchart illustrating a method 300 offabricating a lithography mask according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, the lithography mask is an EUV mask.The method 300 includes a step 310 of forming a reflective structureover a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate. In someembodiments, the LTEM substrate contains TiO₂ doped SiO₂. The reflectivestructure is configured to provide high reflectivity to a predefinedradiation wavelength, for example a wavelength in the EUV range. In someembodiments, the reflective structure includes a plurality of Mo/Si filmpairs or a plurality of Mo/Be film pairs.

The method 300 includes a step 320 of forming a capping layer over thereflective structure. In some embodiments, the capping layer containssilicon.

The method 300 includes a step 330 of forming an absorber layer over thecapping layer. The absorber layer contains a material that has arefractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and anextinction coefficient greater than about 0.03. The material of theabsorber layer is specifically configured to reduce an aerial imageshift of the EUV mask. In some embodiments, the refractive index of thematerial of the absorber layer is in a range from 0.975 to 1. In somefurther embodiments, the refractive index of the material of theabsorber layer is in a range from 0.985 to 0.995. In some embodiments,the extinction coefficient of the absorber layer is in a range from 0.4to 0.54. In some embodiments, the material of the absorber layerincludes Radium. In some other embodiments, the material of the absorberlayer includes Al, Te, Cu, or Ge.

It is understood that additional steps may be performed before, during,or after the steps 310-330 shown herein. For example, the method 300 mayinclude a step of forming a buffer layer between the capping layer andthe absorber layer. The buffer layer and the absorber layer havedifferent etching characteristics. Additional steps are not specificallydiscussed herein for reasons of simplicity.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to method and apparatusof forming a pellicle for the EUV mask. A pellicle includes a thinmembrane that is placed above the EUV mask, and it protects the EUV maskfrom contaminant particles or other things that could damage the mask.During lithography processes, the EUV mask (and thus the pellicle) mayexperience various kinds of movement that could tear or break thepellicle, since it is a thin membrane. In order to prevent or minimizethe damage to the pellicle, certain EUV mask implementations thepellicle is supported by with a mesh structure (e.g., similar to a beehive) to increase the overall structural integrity of the pellicle.Unfortunately, the mesh structure blocks EUV light, which leads topattern non-uniformity issues.

According to the various aspects of the present disclosure, instead ofusing a mesh structure, a pellicle is bonded to a temporary bondinglayer in order to prevent or minimize damage to the pellicle. Inaddition, the pellicle is implemented with a material with enhancedstrength to further decrease the likelihood of damage to the pellicle,as discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 6-15.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a simplified top view of a wafer 400 isprovided. In some embodiments, the wafer 400 is anepi-layer-on-insulator wafer, which will be discussed in more detailbelow with reference to FIG. 7. A dicing or singulation process isperformed to the wafer 400 to separate the wafer 400 into a plurality ofpieces. At least one of the pieces 400A is diced such that it has adimension 410 measured in one horizontal or lateral direction and adimension 411 measured in another horizontal or lateral direction. Thetwo different horizontal/lateral dimensions may be perpendicular to oneanother in some embodiments. The dimensions 410-411 are configured suchthat they match the horizontal or lateral dimensions of an opening of aframe holder for the pellicle, as discussed below with reference to FIG.9.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a simplified cross-sectional view of theportion of the wafer 400A (hereinafter referred to as the wafer 400A forthe sake of simplicity) is illustrated. The wafer 400A includes asubstrate 420. In some embodiments, the substrate 420 includes asemiconductor material, for example silicon. In other embodiments, thesubstrate 420 may include an insulator material or a conductor material.The substrate 420 has an initial thickness 425.

The substrate 420 has a back side 430 and a front side 431 that isopposite the back side 430. An electrically-insulating layer 440 isdisposed over the front side 431 of the substrate 420. In someembodiments, the electrically-insulating layer 440 includes a dielectricmaterial, for example silicon oxide, silicon nitride, siliconoxynitride, etc. A layer 450 is disposed over theelectrically-insulating layer 440. In other words, theelectrically-insulating layer 440 is disposed in between the substrate420 and the layer 450. The layer 450 has a thickness 455. In someembodiments, the thickness 455 is in a range from about 10 nanometers(nm) to about 100 nm. In some embodiments, the layer 450 includes anepitaxially-grown material, such as silicon carbide. In otherembodiments, the layer 450 includes single crystal silicon (withdifferent directions). In some other embodiments, the layer 450 includesgraphene. These materials are chosen for their enhanced strength, as thelayer 450 will become the pellicle for the EUV mask according to thefabrication flow of the present disclosure. The various candidatematerials for the layer 450 are listed below in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Strength measured by GPa (Giga- Material pascal) PolycrystallineYttrium iron garnet (YIG) 193 Single-crystal Yttrium iron garnet (YIG)200 Aromatic peptide nanospheres 230-275 Beryllium (Be) 287 Molybdenum(Mo) 329 Tungsten (W) 400-410 Sapphire (Al₂O₃) along C-axis 435 Siliconcarbide (SiC) 450 Osmium (Os) 550 Tungsten carbide (WC) 450-650Single-walled carbon nanotube 1,000 Graphene 1000 Diamond (C)^([27])1220 Material GPa Aramid  70.5-112.4 Mother-of-pearl (nacre, largelycalcium carbonate) 70 Tooth enamel (largely calcium phosphate) 83 Brass100-125 Bronze  96-120 Titanium (Ti) 110.3 Titanium alloys 105-120Copper (Cu) 117 Glass-reinforced plastic (70/30 by weight fibre/ 40-45matrix, unidirectional, along grain) Glass-reinforced polyester matrix17.2 Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (50/50 fibre/matrix, 30-50 biaxialfabric) Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (70/30 fibre/matrix, 181unidirectional, along grain) Silicon Single crystal, differentdirections 130-185 Wrought iron 190-210 Steel 200

Referring now to FIG. 8, a grinding process 470 is performed on the backside 430 of the wafer 400A. The grinding process 470 reduces thesubstrate to a new thickness 460, which is in a range from about 10nanometers (nm) to about 100 nm in some embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a simplified cross-sectional side view isillustrated for a carrier 500, a temporary bonding layer 510, and aframe holder 530. In some embodiments, the carrier 500 includes acarrier capable of providing mechanical strength and support, such as aceramic substrate, a metal substrate, a bulk silicon substrate, etc. Thetemporary bonding layer 510 is attached to the carrier 500, and theframe holder 530 is attached to the temporary bonding layer 510 (orstated differently, attached to the carrier 500 through the temporarybonding layer 510). The temporary bonding layer 510 has adhesiveproperties that allow it to be attached to another layer, such as theframe holder 530 and the carrier 500. In addition, the temporary bondinglayer 510 has foaming properties when treated by a suitable process, forexample a heating process or an ultraviolet curing process.

For example, referring now to FIG. 10, a more detailed cross-sectionalview of the temporary layer 510 is illustrated according to an examplecontext. The temporary bonding layer 510 is disposed on a base film onone side and is bonded to a layer X on the other side. The temporarybonding layer 510 contains foaming particles 550 (or material that hasforming properties when treated) as well as adhesive material 560. Theadhesive material 560 (e.g., glue-like material) allows the temporarybonding layer 510 to be adhered or bonded to the layer X. However, whenthe temporary bonding layer 510 is subjected to a treatment process suchas a heating process or an UV curing process, the foaming particles 550expand in size or volume. The expansion of the foaming particles reducesthe contact area between the layer 510 and the layer X, thereby causingthe layer X to lose its bonding or adhesion with the layer 510. In thismanner, the layer X can be easily separated from the temporary bondinglayer 510. This property of the temporary bonding layer 510 is utilizedto facilitate the fabrication process of the present disclosure, asdiscussed below in more detail with reference to FIG. 13.

Referring back to FIG. 9, the frame holder 530 defines an opening 600.The opening 600 has a horizontal or lateral dimension 610 that matches(i.e., equal to) the horizontal/lateral dimension 410 of the wafer 400A(shown in FIG. 6). Had a different cross-sectional side view of theframe holder 530 been shown (i.e., a cross-sectional view perpendicularto the one shown in FIG. 9), the opening 600 would have been shown witha horizontal/lateral dimension that matches the horizontal/lateraldimension 411 of the wafer 400A. In other words, a top view geometry orshape of the wafer 400A matches (e.g., substantially identical) that ofthe opening 600.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the wafer 400A is flipped vertically (i.e.,flipped upside-down) and then inserted into the opening 600. The opening600 accommodates the wafer 400A since the opening 600 and the wafer 400Ahave substantially identical geometries in the top view. According tosome embodiments, the wafer 400A also fits snugly inside the opening600, such that any space between the sidewalls of the frame holder 530and the edges of the wafer 400A is negligible.

As shown in FIG. 11, after the insertion into the opening 600, thesubstrate 420 becomes the exposed surface (exposed by the opening 600),while the layer 450 is in direct contact with the temporary bondinglayer 510. Since the temporary bonding layer 510 has adhesiveproperties, as discussed above, the layer 450 is attached or bonded tothe temporary bonding layer 510 accordingly. The attachment of the layer450 (and as such the wafer 400A) to the temporary bonding layer 510 (andas such to the carrier 500) helps prevent or minimize damage to thelayer 450. In more detail, various processes such as chamber venting ormanual handling may involve movement (e.g., vertical movement) of thelayer 450. Such movement may cause the layer 450 to tear, peel, scratch,or break, particularly since the layer 450 is thin (e.g., 10-100 nm).Here, since the layer 450 is bonded to the carrier 500 through thetemporary bonding layer 510, the movement of the layer 450 is tied tothe carrier 500, and therefore the layer 450 is less likely to tear,peel, scratch, or break during the processes that involve movement ofthe layer 450. In addition, the enhanced strength of the layer 450 dueto its specific material composition (e.g., silicon carbide) alsoreduces the likelihood of damage to the layer 450.

Referring now to FIG. 12, one or more etching processes 630 areperformed to etch away the substrate 420 and the electrically-insulatinglayer 440. The layer 450 remains in the opening 600 at the end of theetching process 630. At this stage of the fabrication, the wafer 400Ahas been reduced to a thickness of about 10-100 nm, which is thethickness of the layer 450. In some embodiments when the layer 450 isformed too thick initially, the layer 450 may be etched additionally tofurther reduce the thickness thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a heating or ultraviolet (UV) curing process650 is performed to separate the frame holder 530 and the layer 450 fromthe temporary bonding layer 510. As discussed above, under applicationof heat or UV radiation, the foaming material in the temporary bondinglayer 510 expands, thereby causing the temporary bonding layer 510 tolose its attachment with the frame holder 530 and the layer 450. In thismanner, the temporary bonding layer 510 and the carrier 500 areseparated from the frame holder 530 and the layer 450 disposed therein.

Referring now to FIG. 14, the frame holder 530 and the layer 450disposed therein are collectively flipped vertically (i.e., upside down)and then placed or positioned over an EUV mask 670. In some embodiments,the EUV mask 670 is a conventional EUV mask. In other embodiments, theEUV mask 670 is the EUV mask 18 discussed above with the specificallyconfigured absorber layer. At this stage of fabrication, the layer 450serves as the pellicle membrane for the EUV mask 670. In other words,the layer 450 protects the EUV mask 670 from contaminant particles orother objects that could potentially damage the EUV mask or otherwiseinterfere with the EUV lithography.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a simplified method 700 offabricating a pellicle for an EUV mask. The method 700 includes a step710 of providing a wafer. The wafer contains a substrate, an insulatorlayer disposed over the substrate, and an epi-layer disposed over theinsulator layer. In some embodiments, the epi-layer contains siliconcarbide. In other embodiments, the epi-layer may include graphene orsingle crystal silicon.

The method 700 includes a step 720 of dicing the wafer into a pluralityof pieces. At least one of the pieces has a lateral geometry thatmatches a lateral geometry of an opening defined by a frame holder foran extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography mask.

The method 700 includes a step 730 of grinding the at least one of thepieces of the wafer from a back side.

The method 700 includes a step 740 of inserting the grinded piece ofwafer into the opening defined by the frame holder. The frame holder isattached to a carrier through an adhesive layer. The inserting isperformed such that a front side of the grinded piece of wafer isattached to the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer contains foamingparticles that expand when being treated with heat or ultravioletradiation, thereby causing the adhesive layer to lose adhesion with theetched piece of wafer.

The method 700 includes a step 750 of etching the grinded piece of waferfrom the back side until the piece of wafer reaches a predeterminedthickness.

The method 700 includes a step 760 of performing a heating process or anultraviolet curing process to separate the etched piece of wafer fromthe adhesives layer. The etched piece of wafer serves as a pelliclemembrane for the EUV mask.

In some embodiments, the grinding (step 730) and the etching (step 750)are performed on the substrate and the insulator layer.

It is understood that additional fabrication processes may be performedbefore, during, or after the steps 710-760 of FIG. 15. For example, themethod 700 may include an additional step of placing the pelliclemembrane on an EUV mask. Other fabrication processes are not discussedin detail herein for reasons of simplicity.

Based on the above discussions, it can be seen that the presentdisclosure offers various advantages in EUV lithography. It isunderstood, however, that not all advantages are necessarily discussedherein, and other embodiments may offer different advantages, and thatno particular advantage is required for all embodiments.

One of the advantages is that the absorber layer of the EUV mask has amaterial composition specifically configured to minimize an aerial imageshift during exposure. As a result, EUV lithography performance isimproved. Another advantage is that the pellicle membrane fabricatedaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure has enhanced strengthdue to its material composition (e.g., silicon carbide), which reducesthe likelihood of damage during various processes such as venting andhandling processes. Yet another advantage is that the use of thetemporary bonding layer to secure the pellicle membrane further reducesthe likelihood of any peeling or breaking of the pellicle membrane. Thetemporary bonding layer is also easily removed via a treatment processsuch as heat or UV curing. The processes discussed herein are alsosimple and easy to perform and are compatible with existing processflow.

The present disclosure provides for a photolithography mask inaccordance with some embodiments. The photolithography mask includes asubstrate that contains a low thermal expansion material (LTEM). Areflective structure is disposed over the substrate. A capping layer isdisposed over the reflective structure. An absorber layer is disposedover the capping layer. The absorber layer contains a material that hasa refractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and anextinction coefficient greater than about 0.03.

The present disclosure provides for a photolithography system inaccordance with some embodiments. The photolithography system includes aradiation source configured to generate extreme ultraviolet (EUV)radiation, an EUV mask and an illuminator. The EUV mask includes anabsorber layer that contains a material that has a refractive index in arange from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and an extinction coefficientgreater than about 0.03. The illuminator includes one or more refractiveor reflective optical components. The illuminator is configured todirect the EUV radiation onto the EUV mask.

The present disclosure provides for a method of fabricating aphotolithography mask in accordance with some embodiments. A reflectivestructure is formed over a low thermal expansion material (LTEM)substrate. A capping layer is formed over the reflective structure. Anabsorber layer is formed over the capping layer. The absorber layercontains a material that has a refractive index in a range from about0.95 to about 1.01 and an extinction coefficient greater than about0.03.

The present disclosure provides for a method in accordance with someembodiments. A wafer is grinded from a back side. The wafer is insertedinto an opening defined by a frame holder. The frame holder is attachedto a carrier through a temporary layer. The inserting is performed suchthat a front side of the wafer is attached to the temporary layer. Thewafer is etched from the back side until the wafer reaches apredetermined thickness. Thereafter, the frame holder and the wafertherein are separated from the temporary layer and the carrier.

The present disclosure provides for a method in accordance with someembodiments. A portion of a wafer is grinded from a back side.Thereafter the portion of the wafer is inserted into an opening definedby a frame holder. The frame holder is attached to a carrier through atemporary bonding layer. A front side of the portion of the wafer isbonded to the temporary bonding layer. Thereafter, the portion of thewafer is etched from the back side until the portion of the waferreaches a predetermined thickness that is in a range from about 10nanometers to about 100 nanometers. Thereafter, a heating process or anultraviolet curing process is performed to de-bond the temporary bondinglayer from the portion of the wafer, thereby forming a pellicle with thede-bonded portion of the wafer.

The present disclosure provides for a method in accordance with someembodiments. A wafer is provided. The wafer contains a substrate, aninsulator layer disposed over the substrate, and an epi-layer disposedover the insulator layer. The wafer is diced into a plurality of pieces.At least one of the pieces has a lateral geometry that matches a lateralgeometry of an opening defined by a frame holder for an extremeultraviolet (EUV) lithography mask. The at least one of the pieces ofthe wafer is grinded from a back side. Thereafter, the grinded piece ofwafer is inserted into the opening defined by the frame holder. Theframe holder is attached to a carrier through an adhesive layer. A frontside of the grinded piece of wafer is attached to the adhesive layer.Thereafter, the grinded piece of wafer is etched from the back sideuntil the piece of wafer reaches a predetermined thickness. Thereafter,a heating process or an ultraviolet curing process is performed toseparate the etched piece of wafer from the adhesives layer. the etchedpiece of wafer serves as a pellicle membrane for the EUV mask.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A photolithography mask, comprising: a substratethat contains a low thermal expansion material (LTEM); a reflectivestructure disposed over the substrate; a capping layer disposed over thereflective structure; and an absorber layer disposed over the cappinglayer, wherein the absorber layer contains a material that has arefractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and anextinction coefficient greater than about 0.03.
 2. The photolithographymask of claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the material of theabsorber layer is in a range from 0.975 to
 1. 3. The photolithographymask of claim 2, wherein the refractive index of the material of theabsorber layer is in a range from 0.985 to 0.995.
 4. Thephotolithography mask of claim 1, wherein the extinction coefficient ofthe absorber layer is in a range from 0.4 to 0.54.
 5. Thephotolithography mask of claim 1, wherein the material of the absorberlayer includes one of: Radium, Al, Te, Cu, or Ge.
 6. Thephotolithography mask of claim 1, further comprising a buffer layerdisposed between the capping layer and the absorber layer, wherein thebuffer layer and the absorber layer have different etchingcharacteristics.
 7. The photolithography mask of claim 1, wherein thereflective structure is configured to provide high reflectivity to apredefined radiation wavelength.
 8. The photolithography mask of claim1, wherein: the LTEM includes TiO₂ doped SiO₂; the reflective structureincludes a plurality of Mo/Si film pairs or a plurality of Mo/Be filmpairs; and the capping layer contains silicon.
 9. A wafer manufacturingprocess, comprising: forming a material layer over a substrate; forminga photoresist layer over the material layer; and patterning thephotoresist layer using an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask in aphotolithography process, wherein the EUV mask includes: a substratethat contains a low thermal expansion material (LTEM); a reflectivestructure disposed over the substrate; a capping layer disposed over thereflective structure; and an absorber layer disposed over the cappinglayer, wherein the absorber layer contains a material that has arefractive index in a range from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and anextinction coefficient greater than about 0.03.
 10. The wafermanufacturing process of claim 9, further comprising directing EUVradiation onto the EUV mask via an illuminator, wherein the illuminatorcontains a dipole illumination component.
 11. The wafer manufacturingprocess of claim 9, wherein the patterning of the photoresist layercomprises exposing the photoresist layer to EUV radiation and thereafterdeveloping the exposed photoresist layer to form patterned photoresistfeatures.
 12. The wafer manufacturing process of claim 9, wherein: theLTEM substrate contains TiO₂ doped SiO₂; the reflective structureincludes a plurality of Mo/Si film pairs or a plurality of Mo/Be filmpairs; and the capping layer contains silicon.
 13. The wafermanufacturing process of claim 9, further comprising forming a bufferlayer disposed between the capping layer and the absorber layer, whereinthe buffer layer and the absorber layer have different etchingcharacteristics.
 14. The wafer manufacturing process of claim 9, whereinthe refractive index of the material of the absorber layer is in a rangefrom 0.975 to
 1. 15. The wafer manufacturing process of claim 14,wherein the refractive index of the material of the absorber layer is ina range from 0.985 to 0.995.
 16. The wafer manufacturing process ofclaim 9, wherein the extinction coefficient of the absorber layer is ina range from 0.4 to 0.54.
 17. The wafer manufacturing process of claim9, wherein the material of the absorber layer includes one of: Radium,Al, Te, Cu, or Ge.
 18. A method of fabricating a photolithography mask,comprising: forming a reflective structure over a low thermal expansionmaterial (LTEM) substrate; forming a capping layer over the reflectivestructure; and forming an absorber layer over the capping layer, whereinthe absorber layer contains a material that has a refractive index in arange from about 0.95 to about 1.01 and an extinction coefficientgreater than about 0.03.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the formingof the absorber layer is performed such that: the refractive index ofthe material of the absorber layer is in a range from 0.985 to 0.995;and the extinction coefficient of the absorber layer is in a range from0.4 to 0.54.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the forming of theabsorber layer is performed such that the material of the absorber layerincludes one of: Radium, Al, Te, Cu, or Ge.